Softball
Furnal, Garrett
Garrett Furnal
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- Garrett.Furnal@uni.edu
Garrett Furnal completed his third season as the outfield and hitting coach for UNI in 2023-24. In his time at UNI, the Panthers' offense has came to life with multiple program records broken, as well as multiple season honors.
In his three seasons with the Panthers, Northern Iowa has compiled a combined record of 66-9 (88% winning percentage), averaging 35 wins per year with a pair of Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season championships in 2022 and 2023. Part of UNI's 2022 and 2023 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, Furnal has helped develop nine NFCA All-Region and 18 All-MVC selections, including two MVC Players of the Year and two conference freshmen of the year in 2022 and 2023.
UNI's 2024 season marked another upper-tier finish in the MVC standings with a second-place finish in the regular season, as well as an appearance in the MVC Tournament championship game. Finishing with a 33-17 record, five Panthers earned all-conference recognition with outfielder/catcher Alexis Pupillo and pitcher Samantha Heyer earning first team honors, Addison McElrath and Madison Parks being named Second Team All-MVC and Taylor Hogan being selected to the MVC All-Defensive Team. UNI led the league in home runs thanks to a career-high 19 long balls from Pupillo as part of the MVC second-highest scoring offense, while Parks set new single-season and career walk records for the program, ranking in the top-15 in the country.
The 2023 campaign saw UNI's record book be re-written once again as the Panthers rolled to a program-record 26 wins in MVC play and a second straight regular season conference championship as part of a 39-12 season. Furnal coached both MVC Most Valuable Player Mya Dodge and MVC Freshman of the Year Alexis Pupillo. Dodge set a single-season individual school record 67 RBIs, while also recording five triples, six home runs, four sacrifice flies and a .903 slugging percentage. Pupillo meanwhile notched a league-best .416 batting average. In total, nine Panthers earned All-MVC recognition and five picking up NFCA All-Region honors with Furnal helping coach in the batter's box.Â
UNI's 2023 offense set seven single-season team records, including batting average (.323), slugging percentage (.572), on-base percentage (.420), runs scored (348), doubles (97), home runs (73) and stolen bases (90). Additionally, Northern Iowa ranked in the top-ten in all of Division I softball in doubles per game (1st), OPS (2nd), total doubles (4th), slugging percentage (4th), scoring (5th), on-base percentage (6th) and home runs per game (7th). The Panther defense also improved from 2022 with a .971 fielding percentage.
In the 2022 season, Furnal's hitters set a program record in slugging percentage (.505) and home runs (66). Furnal also helped coach the MVC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in catcher Emmy Wells who led the MVC in home runs, slugging percentage, and RBIs.Â
In the outfield, Furnal's defense made 143Â putouts with a fielding percentage of .945. All three of UNI's outfielders during the MVC Tournament in 2022 where named to the All-Tournament Team for their defensive effort in the semi-final and championship games.Â
Furnal was hired to the UNI softball coaching staff in July 2021 by head coach Ryan Jacobs.
“We couldn’t be happier to add Garrett to our staff,” said Jacobs. “He is a perfect addition and brings great knowledge and experience.”
Furnal previously served as an assistant coach at Ohio University (2018-21), University of North Carolina Wilmington (2016-18), Presbyterian College (2014-16) and the University of Louisiana at Monroe (2013-14). Furnal is an experienced hitting coach while also developing infield and outfield defense, overseeing day to day operations, and leading recruiting efforts.
During his time at Ohio, Furnal helped coach seven All-Mid American Conference (MAC) selections, including four that were named to the NFCA All-Mideast Team. Under his leadership, the Bobcats posted a breakout season in 2019 with 31 wins and set new program records for hits and RBIs. With six players batting over .300, Ohio recorded the second-highest team batting averaging in team history (.297) and led the MAC in team batting average, at-bats, runs scored, hits, triples, home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Furnal is a 2010 graduate of Marshalltown Community College, and later earned his bachelor degree from Iowa State in 2013.
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In his three seasons with the Panthers, Northern Iowa has compiled a combined record of 66-9 (88% winning percentage), averaging 35 wins per year with a pair of Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season championships in 2022 and 2023. Part of UNI's 2022 and 2023 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, Furnal has helped develop nine NFCA All-Region and 18 All-MVC selections, including two MVC Players of the Year and two conference freshmen of the year in 2022 and 2023.
UNI's 2024 season marked another upper-tier finish in the MVC standings with a second-place finish in the regular season, as well as an appearance in the MVC Tournament championship game. Finishing with a 33-17 record, five Panthers earned all-conference recognition with outfielder/catcher Alexis Pupillo and pitcher Samantha Heyer earning first team honors, Addison McElrath and Madison Parks being named Second Team All-MVC and Taylor Hogan being selected to the MVC All-Defensive Team. UNI led the league in home runs thanks to a career-high 19 long balls from Pupillo as part of the MVC second-highest scoring offense, while Parks set new single-season and career walk records for the program, ranking in the top-15 in the country.
The 2023 campaign saw UNI's record book be re-written once again as the Panthers rolled to a program-record 26 wins in MVC play and a second straight regular season conference championship as part of a 39-12 season. Furnal coached both MVC Most Valuable Player Mya Dodge and MVC Freshman of the Year Alexis Pupillo. Dodge set a single-season individual school record 67 RBIs, while also recording five triples, six home runs, four sacrifice flies and a .903 slugging percentage. Pupillo meanwhile notched a league-best .416 batting average. In total, nine Panthers earned All-MVC recognition and five picking up NFCA All-Region honors with Furnal helping coach in the batter's box.Â
UNI's 2023 offense set seven single-season team records, including batting average (.323), slugging percentage (.572), on-base percentage (.420), runs scored (348), doubles (97), home runs (73) and stolen bases (90). Additionally, Northern Iowa ranked in the top-ten in all of Division I softball in doubles per game (1st), OPS (2nd), total doubles (4th), slugging percentage (4th), scoring (5th), on-base percentage (6th) and home runs per game (7th). The Panther defense also improved from 2022 with a .971 fielding percentage.
In the 2022 season, Furnal's hitters set a program record in slugging percentage (.505) and home runs (66). Furnal also helped coach the MVC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in catcher Emmy Wells who led the MVC in home runs, slugging percentage, and RBIs.Â
In the outfield, Furnal's defense made 143Â putouts with a fielding percentage of .945. All three of UNI's outfielders during the MVC Tournament in 2022 where named to the All-Tournament Team for their defensive effort in the semi-final and championship games.Â
Furnal was hired to the UNI softball coaching staff in July 2021 by head coach Ryan Jacobs.
“We couldn’t be happier to add Garrett to our staff,” said Jacobs. “He is a perfect addition and brings great knowledge and experience.”
Furnal previously served as an assistant coach at Ohio University (2018-21), University of North Carolina Wilmington (2016-18), Presbyterian College (2014-16) and the University of Louisiana at Monroe (2013-14). Furnal is an experienced hitting coach while also developing infield and outfield defense, overseeing day to day operations, and leading recruiting efforts.
During his time at Ohio, Furnal helped coach seven All-Mid American Conference (MAC) selections, including four that were named to the NFCA All-Mideast Team. Under his leadership, the Bobcats posted a breakout season in 2019 with 31 wins and set new program records for hits and RBIs. With six players batting over .300, Ohio recorded the second-highest team batting averaging in team history (.297) and led the MAC in team batting average, at-bats, runs scored, hits, triples, home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Furnal is a 2010 graduate of Marshalltown Community College, and later earned his bachelor degree from Iowa State in 2013.
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